Spectacular One Year Wonders
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by user Doberman On The Diamond
We decided to take a look back into sports history and come up with some of the most spectacular one year wonders. These athletes came into our consciousness for a brief moment of glory, and left just as quickly.
- Brady Anderson: Anderson came out of nowhere in 1996, when at age 32, he hit 50 homeruns, besting his previous season high by 29. The next season he hit only 18 homeruns in two more games, and would never again hit more than 24. This was at the height of the "Steroid Era" and there is strong suspicion Anderson got his sudden power with more than just extra batting practice.
- The XFL: The brainchild of WWE owner Vince McMahon, the XFL was set up as competition for the NFL, and was quickly put on the air at NBC. The league was supposed to be an edgier, more visceral experience for fans. Instead, they were more well-known for their cheerleaders wearing whorish outfits, and players putting fake names on the back of their jerseys like "He Hate Me". After one season that resulted in Tommy Maddox being named the MVP, the league folded.
- Mark "The Bird" Fidrych: The Bird had one great season, going 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA for Detroit in 1976. He was loved for his off the wall antics, but never again put together one full season.
- The Seattle Pilots: After one year, the Pilots moved from Seattle to Milwaukee, after being bought by Bud Selig. The Pilots were a terrible team, and their stadium was inept, leading to poor attendance. The deal was not finalized until 6 days before the start of the regular season, and the Pilots immediately became the Brewers.
- Jamal Anderson, Atlanta Falcons: Anderson was an average runner until 1998, when he bust out for 1846 yards and 14 TD's. But over 400 carries took it's toll on Anderson, and he ended up injured the next year after only 19 carries. He would go on to play one more year before retiring in 2001.
- James "Buster" Douglas: Douglas shocked the entire sports world when he knocked out Mike Tyson in the 10th round in Tokyo to win the wold heavyweight championship. He quickly lost that title to Evander Holyfield and vanished from the boxing world.
- Paul Henderson, Team Canada: Henderson scored what is arguably the most memorable goal in professional hockey history, as he scored the game winner at the 1972 Summit Series for Canada over the USSR, to win the Series. This was when the world was in the middle of the Cold War, and nations were bitter enemies. An otherwise average player, Henderson shot to stardom. The entire team from the Summit Series is in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
- Jerome Walton: Walton put together a great rookie year for the Chicago Cubs in 1989, hitting .293 and stealing 24 bases, to win rookie of the year. That season was highlighted by a 30 game hitting streak that thrust him into the national spotlight. His career dissipated after that, though he managed to put together one more good season with the Angels in 1995.
